Big men earn praise

Heat coach Pat Riley calls Curry, Chandler 'anchors'

Bulls 82, Heat 74

The draft lottery always feels like an incongruous place for Pat Riley, he of the expensive suits, perfectly coiffed hair and four world championships while coaching the Lakers.

Nevertheless, the Heat coach is headed there for the second straight season.

The Bulls greased the path Wednesday night at the United Center, getting 19 points from Jalen Rose and 17 from Jamal Crawford in an 82-74 victory, their fourth straight at home.

Of course, the Bulls will be at the lottery, too. But as far as Riley is concerned, the Bulls' foundation of Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry won't keep them there much longer.

"You see size and length," Riley said. "I can understand why [Jerry Krause] pulled the trigger on Elton Brand. It was a big gamble but Jerry has proved he's not afraid to take them.

"Go back and take a look at Robert Parish and Kevin McHale. That's all I can say. I don't know if they're going to be like that, but they started young and had a 10-year run at it. They can be real anchors."

Riley is considered one of the game's most astute minds, and Chandler and Curry didn't disappoint, combining for 19 points and 23 rebounds as the Bulls controlled the paint.

At an increase of 8.7 points, Curry owns the largest jump in scoring average from before the All-Star break in the league. Chandler is averaging a double-double over his last 23 games.